South Bay Lakers can’t keep up with Wolves

EL SEGUNDO – The South Bay Lakers couldn’t get their offense going as they fell to the Iowa Wolves, 123-89 (box score), on Wednesday night. Travis Wear scored 18 points to lead South Bay (16-11), but only two other Lakers reached double figures in the loss. Iowa (14-11) on the other hand saw eight players score in double figures, led by Amile Jefferson’s huge double-double with 22 points and 15 rebounds.

The Wolves got off to a quick start behind 17 combined points from Anthony Brown and Elijah Millsap as they took a 36-25 lead through one. Thomas Bryant paced the Lakers with seven points and four rebounds in the first period. Iowa maintained a strong lead, 67-53 at the half, as Millsap scored eight more in the second. Wear handled the scoring for South Bay in the second with eight points.

Melo Trimble got going in the third for Iowa with eight points to extend the Wolves lead, 96-72, through three. Stephaun Branch did his best to keep South Bay in the game with nine points in the third. South Bay continued to struggle, scoring only 17 points in the fourth, as they dropped their first home game of 2018.

Wear’s 18 points led the way for South Bay as Demarcus Holland (10 points) was the only other starter to reach double figures. V.J. Beachem (14 points) paced the second unit and Branch nearly grabbed a double-double (nine points, nine rebounds). Scott Machado posted nine points to go along with 10 assists, but South Bay was outscored by 20 points in the paint (58-38) as they fell to the Wolves.

The South Bay Lakers will hit the road to face the Rio Grande Valley Vipers on Friday, January 19 at 5:00 from the State Farm Arena in Hidalgo, TX.

The NBA G League’s South Bay Lakers, the first franchise in G League history to be owned by an NBA team (Los Angeles Lakers), returns for its 11th season of competition in 2017-18. The Lakers franchise has established itself as a top producer of NBA-ready talent, totaling 26 NBA Call-Ups and developing 19 Lakers assignment players since the inaugural 2006-07 season. The Lakers have claimed three division titles and have twice competed in the NBA G League Finals, most recently in 2015-16.